chater thirteen undernd withut the een-《纳尼亚传奇4银椅免费高清》

chater thirteen undernd withut the een(第1页)

ALLfeltthattheyhadearnedwhatScrubbcalleda“breather”

.TheWitchhadlockedthedoorandtoldtheEarthmennottodisturbher,sotherewasnodangerofinterruptionforthepresent.Theirfirstbusinesswas,ofcourse,Puddleglum’sburntfoot.AcoupleofcleanshirtsfromthePrince’sbedroom,tornintostrips,andwellgreasedontheinsidewithbutterandsaladoiloffthesuppertable,madeafairlygooddressing.Whenthishadbeenapplied,theyallsatdownandhadalittlerefreshment,anddiscussedplansforescapingfromtheUnderworld.

Rilianexplainedthattherewerequitealotofoutletsbywhichonecouldgettothesurface;hehadbeentakenoutthroughmostofthematonetimeoranother.Buthehadnevergoneoutalone,onlywiththeWitch;andhehadalwaysreachedtheseoutletsbygoinginashipacrosstheSunlessSea.WhattheEarthmenwouldsayifhewentdowntotheharbourwithouttheWitch,andwithfourstrangers,andsimplyorderedaship,noonecouldguess.But

mostlikelytheywouldaskawkwardquestions.Ontheotherhandthenewoutlet,theonefortheinvasionofOverworld,wasonthissideofthesea,andonlyafewmilesaway.ThePrinceknewthatitwasnearlyfinished;onlyafewfeetofearthdividedthediggingsfromtheouterair.Itwasevenpossiblethatithadnowbeenquitefinished.PerhapstheWitchhadcomebacktotellhimthisandtostarttheattack.Evenifitwasnot,theycouldprobablydigthemselvesoutbythatrouteinafewhours—iftheycouldonlygettherewithoutbeingstopped,andifonlytheyfoundthediggingsunguarded.Butthosewerethedifficulties.

“Ifyouaskme—”

beganPuddleglum,whenScrubbinterrupted.

“Isay,”

heasked,“what’sthatnoise?”

“I’vebeenwonderingthatforsometime!”

saidJill.

Theyhadall,infact,beenhearingthenoisebutithadbegunandincreasedsograduallythattheydidnotknowwhentheyhadfirstnoticedit.Foratimeithadbeenonlyavaguedisquietlikegentlewinds,ortrafficveryfaraway.Thenitswelledtoamurmurlikethesea.Thencamerumblingsandrushings.Nowthereseemedtobevoicesaswellandalsoasteadyroaringthatwasnotvoices.

“BytheLion,”

saidPrinceRilian,“itseemsthissilentlandhasfoundatongueatlast.”

Herose,walkedtothewindow,anddrewasidethecurtains.Theotherscrowdedroundhimtolookout.

Theveryfirstthingtheynoticedwasagreatredglow.ItsreflectionmadearedpatchontheroofoftheUnderworldthousandsoffeetabovethem,sothattheycouldseearockyceilingwhichhadperhapsbeenhiddenindarknesseversincetheworldwasmade.Theglowitselfcamefromthefarsideofthecitysothatmanybuildings,grimandgreat,stoodupblacklyagainstit.Butitalsocastitslightdownmanystreetsthatranfromittowardsthecastle.Andinthosestreetssomethingverystrangewasgoingon.Theclosely-packed,silentcrowdsofEarthmenhadvanished.Instead,therewerefiguresdartingaboutbyones,ortwos,orthrees.Theybehavedlikepeoplewhodonotwanttobeseen:lurkinginshadowbehindbuttressesorindoorways,andthenmovingquicklyacrosstheopenintofreshplacesofhiding.Butthestrangestthingofall,toanyonewhoknewthegnomes,wasthenoise.Shoutsandcriescamefromalldirections.Butfromtheharbourtherecamealow,rumblingroarwhichgrewsteadilylouderandwasalreadyshakingthewholecity.

“What’shappenedtotheEarthmen?”

saidScrubb.“Isitthemshouting?”

“Tishardlypossible,”

saidthePrince.“Ineverheardoneoftherascalssomuchasspeakwithaloudvoiceinallthewearyyearsofmybondage.Somenewdevilry,Idon’tdoubt.”

“Andwhatisthatredlightoverthere?”

askedJill.“Issomethingonfire?”

“Ifyouaskme,”

saidPuddleglum,“IshouldsaythatwasthecentralfiresoftheEarthbreakingouttomakeanewvolcano.We’llbeinthemiddleofit,Ishouldn’twonder.”

“Lookatthatship!”

saidScrubb.“Why’sitcomingonsoquickly?Noone’srowingit.”

“Look,look!”

saidthePrince.“Theshipisalreadyfarthissideoftheharbour—itisinthestreet.Look!

Alltheshipsaredrivingintothecity!

Bymyhead,thesea’srising.Thefloodisuponus.Aslanbepraised,thiscastlestandsonhighground.Butthewatercomesongrimlyfast.”

“Oh,whatcanbehappening?”

criedJill.“Fireandwaterandallthosepeopledodgingaboutthestreets.”

“I’lltellyouwhatitis,”

saidPuddleglu“ThatWitchhaslaidatrainofmagicspellssothatwhenevershewaskilled,atthatsamemomentherwholekingdomwouldfalltopieces.She’sthesortthatwouldn’tsomuchminddyingherselfifsheknewthatthechapwhokilledherwasgoingtobeburned,orburied,ordrownedfiveminuteslater.”

“Hasthitit,friendwiggle,”

saidthePrince.“WhenourswordshackedofftheWitch’shead,thatstrokeendedallhermagicworks,andnowtheDeepLandsarefallingtopieces.WearelookingontheendofUnderworld.”

“That’sit,Sir,”

saidPuddleglu“Unlessitshouldhappentobetheendofthewholeworld.”

“Butarewejustgoingtostayhereand—wait?”


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